Department for Business and Trade

Recruitment

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to encourage businesses to increase recruitment during the current hiring downturn.

The Earl of Minto: In March to May 2023 (the latest data available from the Office for National Statistics), the UK employment rate increased to 76%. The government continues to support small businesses through the Help to Grow: Management programme; Start Up Loans; Business Support Helpline; and Growth Hubs across England. Employers and training providers could be eligible for £1,000 each if they hire an eligible apprentice. The Employment Allowance also allows eligible employers to reduce their annual National Insurance liability by up to £5,000.

European Works Councils: Overseas Workers

Lord Monks: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of the UK's departure from the EU on the participation of UK workers in European Works Councils.

The Earl of Minto: At the end of the EU exit implementation period, the Government amended the Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 1999, so that no new requests to set up a European Works Council (EWC) can be made but retained the regulatory framework for existing EWCs in the UK to continue to operate. No formal assessment of the impacts of EU exit on participation in EWCs has been made.

Department for Work and Pensions

Food Banks: Refrigeration

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply byLord Markham on 14 December 2022 (HL Deb col 653), what assessment they have made of the provision of freezers and fridges to increase food banks’ storage capacity.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in their operation. Whilst Government recognises that food charities are a great example of the generosity of spirit of communities across the country, it is important to recognise the important distinction between government welfare support and discretionary charitable support. Therefore, the Department for Work and Pensions is unable to make an assessment as Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations who design their own delivery models and criteria to access their services. Government understands the pressures people, including parents, are facing with the cost of living and is taking action to help. Overall, the government is providing total support of over £94bn over 2022-23 and 2023- 24 to help households and individuals with the rising cost of bills. The Government also announced over £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England at the Spring Budget. This will support frontline organisations experiencing increased demand and higher delivery costs and will provide some investment in energy efficiency measures. It will be targeted towards those organisations most at risk from cost of living pressures, due to increased demand and higher delivery costs, as well as providing investment in energy efficiency measures. Further detail will be published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport shortly.

Universal Credit: Carers

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the book by Kate AndersenWelfare That Works for Women? Mothers’ Experiences of the Conditionality within Universal Credit, published in January,what assessment they have made of the impact on families of increasing the job search requirements for lead carers.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: Evidence suggests that working substantially reduces the risk of child poverty and growing up in poverty is a strong predictor of children’s education and future earnings.These measures form one part of a wider package that also improves our childcare offer to support parents into work/into more or better paid work. The wider package is expected to encourage 700,000 lead carers of children on Universal Credit to look for work or increase their hours and will receive additional Work Coach support to do so. Previously they would have had only limited requirements, or no requirements at all.

Home Office

Asylum: Children

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many unaccompanied children seeking asylum remain in hotels, prior to placement with Local Authorities.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured.There has been a significant increase in the numbers of young people making unnecessary and dangerous journeys to the UK. The Home Office has had no alternative but to temporarily use hotels in order to give some unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) emergency accommodation and support while permanent accommodation with a local authority is identified.We are determined to end the use of hotels for these young people and Home Office officials work tirelessly with local authorities to move children into care placements through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS).To help achieve this, we have provided local authorities with children’s services £15,000 for every eligible young person taken into their care from a Home Office-run hotel dedicated to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children or the Kent Reception and Safe Care Service by the end of February 2023.

Windrush Compensation Scheme

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Murray of Blidworth on 10 July (HL8747), how many claims are yet to be settled under the Windrush Compensation Scheme; and when they expect those claims to be settled.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The latest Transparency data for the Windrush Compensation Scheme was published on 21 June 2023, which covers the period up to the end of May 2023.We understand ‘yet to be settled’ to mean claims which have not received a final decision and are in the ‘Work in Progress’ category.The requested information, regarding how many claims are in the ‘Work in Progress’ (WIP) category can be found on Tab WCS_05 of Windrush Compensation Scheme data: May 2023 - GOV.UKThe Transparency data note 12 defines WIP as “WIP defined as claims at Registration, Eligibility, Preliminary Payment Consideration, Casework and QA stages, excluding any claim that has received a final offer at Payment, and any claim at Tier 1 and Tier 2.”The department does not impose time limit targets for concluding claims, as each person’s claim is deeply personal and deserves to be processed with the utmost care and sensitivity. This holistic approach necessarily takes time but is ultimately beneficial to individuals.WCS_05 - Table  (xlsx, 167.2KB)

Educational Visits: France

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Murray of Blidworth on 4 July (HL8644), what is the nature of the arrangement between the UK and France to which he referred regarding schools trips from France to the UK; and when this arrangement will come into operation.

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Murray of Blidworth on 4 July (HL8644), what discussions they intend to have with other EU countriesabout the possibility of making arrangements for school tripsfromthose countries to the UK.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: At the Leaders’ summit in Paris on 10 March 2023 the UK committed to ease the travel of school groups to the UK by making changes to documentary requirements for schoolchildren on organised trips from France.We are currently working through the details of implementation and more information will be provided in due course.We would consider negotiating with other countries should they approach us with an interest in making similar arrangements.

Department of Health and Social Care

Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Markham on 27 June (HL8632, HL8633), how manyVoluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access-related price increase applications were submitted in each year from 2019 to 2023; and what proportion of these applications was successful in each of those years.

Lord Markham: The following table shows the number of presentations between 2019 and 2023 to date where members of the 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access had applied for a price increase. In addition, for 2023, price increase applications have been received for a further five presentations that are currently undergoing assessment by the Department.YearNumber of Presentations2019342020212021102022107202332 We are unable to provide the information requested on the proportion of successful applications, as such information is commercially sensitive.

Health Services: Waiting Lists

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask His Majesty's Government what effective measuresthey propose to taketo cutthe waiting time ofpatients waiting for NHS treatment, and in particular to address the number of patients waiting more than a year.

Lord Markham: Cutting waiting lists is one of the Government’s priorities. The Government has committed more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to drive up and protect elective activity. This is supported further by £5.9 billion investment in capital for new beds, equipment and technology. New and expanded surgical hubs are being rolled out to increase capacity and activity, focusing on providing high volume low complexity surgery, which is backed by £1.5 billion capital funding. There are currently 93 elective surgical hubs that are operational across England.From October 2023, all patients waiting over 40 weeks where a decision to treat a patient has been made but the patient has not received a date for their treatment will be able to initiate a request to transfer to another provider and receive treatment more rapidly via the Patient Initiated Digital Mutual Aid System.We have met our target to virtually eliminate long waits of two years or more for elective procedures in July 2022, and significantly reduced the number of patients waiting 18 months or more by April 2023 by over 91% from the peak in September 2021. We have now moved our focus to cutting waits of 65 weeks or more to as near zero as possible, by March 2024.Capacity is being sought across the National Health Service and the independent sector locally, regionally and across the country to support efforts in hitting this target.

Gender Plus

Lord Farmer: To ask His Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to ensure that the new private clinic Gender Plus operates safely for the children and young people who come under its care.

Lord Markham: All healthcare providers should follow clinical best practice and must be registered with their professional body and any other regulators, as appropriate, for that service.If a private organisation which is within the scope of regulated practice fails to meet the standards expected of it, then regulators, including the Care Quality Commission, have powers to inspect these services to determine whether patient safety is at risk or if best practice is not being followed.

Telemedicine: Women

Lord Jackson of Peterborough: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to measure the efficacy of (1) section 178 of the Health and Social Care Act 2022, and (2) the Abortion (Amendment) Regulations 2022, with respect to the health and welfare of women presenting with clinical complications across all NHS clinical settings after having accessed medication via telemedicine.

Lord Markham: There are no plans to measure the efficacy of Section 178 of the Health and Care Act 2022 and the Abortion (Amendment) Regulations 2022 with respect to complications following telemedicine.In accordance with the Abortion Act 1967, all abortions performed in England must be notified to the Chief Medical Officer within 14 days. Any complication known at the time the notification is submitted should be recorded on the HSA4 abortion notification form. The HSA4 form does not capture complications arising after the time of discharge for either at-home medical abortion or other patients.To improve the quality of data available on abortion complications, the Department are taking forward a project to improve our understanding of the data available on abortion complications.

Organs: Human Trafficking

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of attempts to traffic organ donors into the UK; and what estimate they have made ofthe number of people who have returned to the UK after having illegally paid for organ transplants abroad.

Lord Markham: No assessment has been made.

Malnutrition

The Earl of Dundee: To ask His Majesty's Government what outcomes they predict arising from the BAPEN conference on malnutrition in Edinburgh scheduled for November.

Lord Markham: The Department has not made any specific predictions.

Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Markham on 27 June (HL8632, HL8633), what assessment they have made of the impact of a reduced rebate for products that are rendered uneconomical by the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access, as an alternative to increased prices for the National Health Service.

Lord Markham: We are consulting on proposals to update the statutory scheme for branded medicines pricing, which is broadly commercially equivalent to the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access. The consultation includes a proposal for a “lifecycle adjustment” mechanism that would provide a flat, lower payment for older products in more competitive markets. This proposal is intended to be pro-competition as older products with little to no competition in the market currently could access this lower payment if competition develops.

Life Sciences: Foreign Investment in UK

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Markham on 27 June (HL8632, HL8633), what is their response to the claim by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry that international investors are "abandoning UK life sciences as excessive revenue clawback rates start to bite".

Lord Markham: The Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access (VPAS) payment percentages have been at or below those projected when the scheme was agreed. Recent increases to payment percentages reflect the scheme working as intended to adjust for increased sales of branded medicines to the National Health Service, which is the result of the positive access and uptake environment within the NHS.The VPAS agreement was described as a “pro-innovation deal” by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry who negotiated and signed the deal on behalf of the whole pharmaceutical industry in the United Kingdom.There are several factors which influence company investment decisions in any country or region. Available evidence suggests that supply side factors, such as availability of expert scientific labour and favourable tax conditions, are of greatest significance in the decision on future investment. However, we understand that price regulation schemes such as VPAS may be a consideration in the decision to locate some investments, which is why we are committed to agreeing a successor voluntary scheme to VPAS that supports a strong UK life sciences sector.

Life Sciences: Foreign Investment in UK

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Markham on 27 June (HL8632, HL8633), what was the estimated value of foreign direct investment in UK life sciences for each of the past three years for which such estimates are available.

Lord Markham: The estimated value of foreign direct investment in the UK life sciences sector can be found in the ‘Life sciences competitiveness indicators’ publication, which is available on GOV.UK in an online-only format. The estimated value of foreign direct investment in 2022 was just over £1 billion, nearly £1.9 billion in 2021 and £927 million in 2020.

Social Services: Advisory Services

Lord Turnberg: To ask His Majesty's Government what access social service departments have to expert advice, such as that from medical attendants, when assessing applications for social care.

Lord Markham: The Care Act 2014 sets out the framework within which local authorities carry out their responsibilities for undertaking appropriate care and needs assessments. Furthermore, the Act sets out how local authorities should work with other experts, such as health services, to ensure the packages of support meet the needs of people drawing on care.

Social Services: Standards

Lord Turnberg: To ask His Majesty's Government how many applications for social care have been waiting more than six months for their assessment to be concluded in each of the past five years.

Lord Markham: The Department does not hold the data requested.

Defibrillators

Lord Addington: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to standardise the colour of defibrillation units to allow easier identification by the general public, and when they plan to communicate any such plans to the general public.

Lord Addington: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the public’s knowledge of the availability defibrillation units and where these units can be found.

Lord Markham: There are no plans to standardise the colour of defibrillation units.The British Heart Foundation (BHF), in partnership with the Resuscitation Council UK, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives and the National Health Service, have set up The Circuit, a national defibrillator network database.The Circuit provides a national database of where defibrillators can be found so that ambulance services can identify the nearest defibrillator at the time of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The Circuit is live in in all ambulance services across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.In addition, at the end of January 2022, the BHF launched defib finder, a website that will assist members of the public to locate their nearest defibrillator, including a mapping function.

Department for Transport

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Viscount Goschen: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the condition of road infrastructure.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: In addition to the provision of over £5.5 billion of highways maintenance capital funding for local highways authorities in England over this Parliament, the Department works with all local highway authorities in England along with National Highways to assess road surface condition on a national level. This information is presented annually in “Road conditions in England to March 2022” published on GOV.UK. It includes surface condition, skidding resistance and highway maintenance treatments and expenditure. The Department is also working with the British Standards Institute and the Transport Research Laboratory to develop a new standard for assessing road condition. This will help authorities identify, assess, and deal with road defects, including potholes, and help drive innovation within the road monitoring sector.

Railways: Tickets

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the impact of their requirement for all submissions to their consultation on the closure of railway ticket offices to be made by email on the balance of opinion in the responses to the consultation, and (2) whether this requirement will exclude those who use ticket offices because they do not have access to the internet.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: If passengers wish to raise views, they can send a letter to both passenger bodies – London TravelWatch or Transport Focus – using the same freepost address: RTEH-XAGE-BYKZ, PO Box 5594, Southend on Sea, SS1 9PZ. Train operators have also made information relating to their consultations available on their websites. Under the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement process, train operating companies are required to put notices at stations advising passengers of any proposals. We would expect train operating companies to make sure their consultations are accessible. To propose any changes to the opening hours of a station ticket office, or propose its closure, train operating companies must follow the longstanding process set out in the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement.

Buses: Exhaust Emissions

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government how many buses have been fitted with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) exhausts; and how much have they spent each year since 2016 on retrofitting buses with SCR exhausts.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Bus Retrofit technology has been supported through a range of schemes since 2013, including a series of pilot schemes over 2013-2015 which considered a range of technologies including Selective Catalytic Reduction. Government has funded the retrofit of around 6,000 buses across England. The Department does not hold funding information in the form requested. Government has provided £64 million via the 2017-2019 Clean Bus Technology Fund and further funding has been provided for specific retrofit initiatives under the NO2 Programme (2017-present).

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Post Office

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government what impact assessment they have undertaken of how many people will be unable to renew their car tax online following the removal of DVLA services from Post Offices.

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the reason for removing the ability to tax vehicles at Post Offices.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Post Office Ltd currently provides a limited range of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) services and an extension to the current contract has been agreed, ensuring that DVLA services will be available at post offices until the end of March 2024. The DVLA wants its customers to be able to access its services as quickly and as easily as possible and the role of front office counter services will form part of the considerations of future service offerings, utilising government agreements if necessary. The vast majority of those licensing vehicles, already do so online or via the DVLA’s automated telephone service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The DVLA will continue to ensure that all customers will be able to license their vehicles.

Railways: Tickets

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the Rail Delivery Group regarding how ticket services not available on ticket vending machines, such as refunds and season ticket changes will be handled.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: We recognise there are a wide range of fares and tickets offered to passengers, and that not all products are offered consistently online or at ticket vending machines. However, an estimated 99% of all transactions made at ticket offices last year could be made at TVMs or online.The rail industry is looking to expand digital ticketing options and make them even easier for passengers to use through upgrades to ticket vending machines and digitisation of more tickets and processes. When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours, including closures, operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of all passengers. This includes ensuring that passengers can easily buy the right ticket for the journey they want to make, with consideration of the product range available at the station and what support is available to help with purchase. Passengers will not be expected to travel out of their way to buy a ticket and will be able to buy en-route or at their destination.

Buses: Exhaust Emissions

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government why they have paused funding for retrofitting diesel buses with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) exhausts; and whether they will provide details of the poor SCR performance as referred to in their letters to local authorities.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government has paused the roll out of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) bus retrofit technology, following research by the Scottish Government and internal monitoring. The Department are conducting a short, focused investigation into the performance of this technology. The results of this work will inform any final conclusions.

Motorcycles: Training

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the letter from Transport for London and other organisations, dated 18 July, calling for improved compulsory basic training for motorcyclists; and what plans they have, if any, to implement the recommendations set out in that letter.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: One of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s priorities, as outlined in its strategic plan, is to improve motorcyclist and instructor training, which includes compulsory basic training (CBT). The newly formed motorcycle strategic focus group is working closely with industry stakeholders to consider how to improve the safety of those involved in the rider gig economy, coupled with changes to motorcycle training and testing to ensure riders have the skills and knowledge they need for a lifetime of safe and sustainable journeys. Any changes to the training and licencing regime, including CBT, will form part of a wider package of reforms when parliamentary time allows.

Great British Railways: Software

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government what has happened to “the Great British Railways” app that was announced in 2021 which was to be issued by the Rail Delivery Group with the objective of making online purchases of tickets easier.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As set out in the Plan for Rail, we recognise that the current multitude of train company websites with different standards of service is confusing to passengers. We are continuing to review the best way to address this and are working closely with the rail sector to do this. We want to see a more competitive retail market and will break down the systems and structural barriers to entry so it is easier to enter the market to sell rail tickets.

Railways: Tickets

Baroness Grey-Thompson: To ask His Majesty's Government what consultation took place, and with which disability groups, organisations and charities, before the Rail Delivery Group's consultation on Ticket Office closures was launched on 5 July.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department hosted roundtable discussions with industry and accessibility and transport groups to discuss this matter prior to the Rail Delivery Group's consultation launched on 5 July. We continue to engage with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee and other accessibility and transport groups. When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours – including closures – train operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of passengers who are disabled; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups.

Railways: Tickets

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government what are the reasons for initiating consultations on the closure of ticket offices in railway stations.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Together with industry, we want to improve and modernise the experience for passengers by moving staff out from behind the ticket office screens to provide more help and advice in customer focused roles and additional support to those who need it. When proposing major changes to ticket office opening hours – including closures – train operators are required to take into account the adequacy of the proposed alternatives in relation to the needs of passengers who are disabled; and to include this in the notice of the proposal sent to other operators and passenger groups. We would also expect operators to consider other equality related needs and make this clear in the notice sent to other operators and passenger groups.

Aviation: Electric Vehicles

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to support the (1) development, and (2) adoption, of electric aviation technologies in the UK.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The development and adoption of electric aircraft is considered within the government’s Jet Zero Strategy. On 20 July 2023, DfT published a Jet Zero Strategy One Year On document which highlights the progress and achievements that have been made since the launch of the Strategy, and the next steps to deliver net zero aviation by 2050. As noted in the Jet Zero Strategy the government is investing a record £685 million over three years into R&D in the UK aerospace sector through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programme. In February the Department for Business and Trade announced £113 million of co-investment with industry in three Rolls-Royce led projects on hydrogen and Vertical Aerospace work on battery-electric aircraft. The government works with industry and academia through the Jet Zero Council to drive the delivery of new technologies and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions. In 2022 a Delivery Group of the Council was established on Zero Emission Flight which considers electric aviation.

High Speed 2 Line

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impactof the resignation of the chief executive of HS2 on delays and cost overruns on the project.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: We expect that both the Executive Chair and next Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd will have a resolute focus on delivering the programme to schedule and to controlling costs.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Syria: Prisons

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have provided funds amounting to £20 million for a prison in north-east Syria to contain, amongst others, 25 British families.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As said in the counter-Daesh statement to the House on 4 March 2021, as part of the Global Coalition's collective stabilisation efforts in the region, the UK has provided technical advice and funding for the improvement of detention facilities for Daesh fighters in north-east Syria.It would not be appropriate to comment further for reasons of operational security.

Greece and Turkey

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe prospects for détente between Greece and Turkey.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Greece and Turkey are close friends and allies to the UK and we are pleased to see continued high-level contact between the two countries, including Prime Minister Mitsotakis and President Erdoğan's meeting on 12 July, and commitment to hold a bilateral High-Level Cooperation Council in Thessaloniki in the Autumn. We hope this engagement can pave the way towards a long term reduction in tensions. We encourage both countries to resolve issues through dialogue and we support de-confliction measures aimed at de-escalation and reduction of tensions, including existing deconfliction mechanisms within NATO structures. The UK will continue to work with all parties in support of this.

Italy: Foreign Relations

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will place a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Cooperation between the President of the Council of the Ministers of the Italian Republic and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, dated 27 April 2023, in the Library of the House.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: There are no plans to place a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Cooperation between the UK and Italy in the Library of the House. The document was published on the gov.uk website on 27 April 2023.[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/memorandum-of-understanding-between-the-uk-and-italy]

Ukraine: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking tocollect testimonies from Ukrainians who have arrived in the UK; how many testimonies have been collected so far; and whether they plan to share evidence from those testimonies with international partners.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Following the illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Metropolitan Police redesigned their existing online referral portal, which is in English, Ukrainian and Russian, for witnesses and victims to provide information directly to the war crimes team. The Metropolitan Police have distributed leaflets at UK borders encouraging those fleeing the conflict to report any crimes. They have received over 100 referrals which are being analysed to see whether further action is warranted. Any information or evidence that could be helpful to other national jurisdictions, or the International Criminal Court, will be shared through existing mutual legal assistance arrangements.

Ukraine: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessmentthey have made of thesituation in Mariupol,including ofreports that Russia is destroying evidence of atrocities in the city; andwhat steps they are taking, if any, to assistin the preservation of that evidence.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of atrocities committed by Russia in Mariupol, specifically of attacks targeted at residential civilian communities.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: There is mounting evidence of war crimes committed by Russian forces in Mariupol. Reports from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which draw on interviews with those who fled Mariupol, detail atrocities that occurred during Russia's siege, including shelling of civilian buildings. We are committed to ensuring that those responsible for atrocities in Ukraine are held accountable. We are supporting both the International Criminal Court's (ICC) independent investigations and Ukraine's domestic accountability efforts. UK funding has helped deploy Mobile Justice Teams to the scenes of potential war crimes and trained more than 100 judges.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Rwanda

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have tojoin the US and the United Nations in urging Rwanda to end its support to the M23 rebels intheDemocratic Republic of the Congo.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK continues to monitor the security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) closely and its grave humanitarian consequences. We regularly raise the conflict in eastern DRC with the Governments of DRC, Rwanda, and the region, where we urge all parties to deliver on their commitments, agreed through the Nairobi and Luanda processes. This includes the cessation of hostilities, respect for sovereignty and agreed withdrawal by armed groups including M23. The UK firmly believes the regional Nairobi and Luanda diplomatic peace processes provide the best means by which to achieve a lasting peace in eastern DRC and offer them our full support. We have taken over chair of the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes where we are in regular contact with likeminded partners and are working together to support progress on the ground. We will continue to work with members of the international community to bring an end to the violence.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Veterinary Medicine

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Benyon on 13 July (HL9238), what is themakeup of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate’s internal scientific review committee; what process and criteria the scientific review committee follows to develop its assessment report; and what documents are provided to the scientific review committee by Veterinary Medicines Directorate assessors.

Lord Benyon: The scientific review committee for pharmaceutical products is chaired by the Head of Pharmaceuticals. Membership includes all pharmaceutical assessors (quality, safety and efficacy), representatives from Regulatory Affairs, Pharmacovigilance, and other government bodies including the UK Health Security Agency, Health and Safety Executive, Food Standards Agency, Environment Agency, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland. Other agencies may also be invited on an ad hoc basis. The documents for the formal review meeting include the assessment report, list of questions to be addressed by the applicant and an executive summary which highlights the main issues and the benefit-risk conclusion. The scientific review committee provides a formal peer -review forum, where each application is summarised, and key issues raised and discussed. The operation of the committee is described in internal operating procedures. Formal minutes are produced. The committee output is to endorse the list of questions for the applicant, decide whether these are likely to be resolvable, agree the benefit-risk conclusion and decide whether or not further scientific advice from the Veterinary Products Committee should be sought. Similar scientific committee and processes are in place for non-pharmaceutical products (immunological and biological products).

Iron and Steel: Waste Disposal

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the environmental impact of exports of scrap steel from the UK.

Lord Benyon: The export of waste from the UK is subject to strict requirements set out in Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 on Shipments of Waste (WSR). The objective of the WSR is to facilitate trade in recyclable waste while protecting the environment and human health. The WSR establishes a control system for shipments of waste based on the level of risk posed by the export to the environment and human health. Waste considered low risk to the environment is called ‘green list’ waste. Steel scrap exports for recovery are considered to pose a low risk and are, therefore, generally subject to ‘green list’ waste controls. If the steel scrap is contaminated, however, then it will be subject to ‘notification controls’ which require the relevant authorities in the countries of dispatch and destination to approve the shipment of waste prior to export.

Canal and River Trust: Finance

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government why they are implementingcuts in funding over successive years to the Canal and River Trust, despite their recent review finding that the Canal and River Trust provides "clear value for money"; and what assessment they have made of the impact of the reduction in funding on the Trust's ability to raise additional funding from donations.

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of cuts in funding to the Canal and River Trust on (1) its ability to maintain and repair the waterway network, (2) the number ofresulting canal closures, (3) the maintenance of canals, bridges, locks and other associated infrastructure affected by extreme weather events, and (4)the number of jobs that will be lost, both directly and indirectly, as a result of those funding cuts.

Lord Benyon: When the Canal and River Trust was set up in 2012 to replace British Waterways, the Government agreed to provide an annual grant over 15 years to provide a measure of financial stability while the Trust developed alternative income streams. This was on the clear agreement, set out in a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Defra and the Trust at the time, that the Trust would progressively reduce reliance on Government grant funding. During this 15-year period the total value of the grant payments will be around £740 million. The Government carried out a comprehensive evidence-based review of the grant that recognised the progress made so far. Following this, and while there was no obligation to do so, the Government has agreed to provide the Trust with a further £400 million grant over ten years from 2027 to support their continued efforts towards that end and deliver a safe and resilient canal network. Both the current grant and the new grant from 2027 onwards are primarily to support the Trust’s infrastructure maintenance programme. However, it is an operational matter for the Trust to determine the allocation of funding within their maintenance programme, and Ministers do not have a role in that. The Government has discussed with the Trust its ability to increase income from other sources, such as rental returns from a property portfolio endowed by Government in 2012 and currently valued at over £1 billion. The Government believes that the Trust will be able to leverage other sources of income to ensure canals and towpaths remain open.

Graphene: Safety

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to establish the lifetime safety of graphene products, including what precautions might need to be taken for the disposal of products at the end of their life.

Lord Benyon: Every business that produces or deals with waste has a legal duty of care to make sure that their waste is classified correctly so it can be dealt with responsibly and safely. They must take all reasonable steps to ensure it is managed appropriately by an authorised person, whether being recovered or disposed of. If the waste is hazardous, then additional controls will apply. Those who fail in this duty may be subject to prosecution or a fixed penalty notice.

Wales Office

Road Traffic: Newport

Lord Murphy of Torfaen: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to meet with the Welsh Government to discuss the relief of traffic congestion on the M4 around Newport.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales regularly engages with the Welsh Government on a wide range of transport matters. The Welsh Government’s continued opposition to the M4 Relief Road is holding the Welsh economy back, which is of great disappointment and only serves to project that Wales is closed for business. In rejecting the case for the M4 Relief Road, the Welsh Government are going against the findings of their own £150 million report, which recommended that the M4 Relief Road be built. The UK Government urges the Welsh Government to reconsider the impact of their roads policy on the long-term prosperity of Wales. While decisions around the M4 in Wales remain a devolved matter, the UK Government is committed to playing its part in delivering better connectivity in reserved areas – including funding a study to develop options for new stations and services on the South Wales Main Line.

Welsh National Opera: Finance

Lord Murphy of Torfaen: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations the Wales Office has received concerning cuts to the Welsh National Opera by Arts Council England.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales received email correspondence from the Welsh National Opera in February 2023 requesting a meeting with the Secretary of State to discuss this matter.Further information was sought and once it is received we will progress the matter further.

Treasury

Postal Services: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the amount in value terms of the movement of parcels and postal packetsbetween Great Britain and Northern Ireland which are (1) business-to-business, (b) business-to-consumer, and (3) consumer-to-consumer, in each of the past five years.

Baroness Penn: It is not possible to give precise total values for parcels movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Parcel volumes are not consistent year-on-year but based on estimates and commercial information provided by the parcel industry, the Government understands that around 5 per cent of parcels are sent from businesses to other businesses, with 90 per cent moving from businesses to consumers and 5 per cent from individuals to other individuals.

Cost of Living: Government Assistance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to support vulnerable individuals and families facing financial strain due to the increased prices of essential items.

Baroness Penn: The Government recognises the challenges facing households due to elevated costs of living, so has taken action to protect struggling households: support provided from October 2022-June 2023 has paid for almost half of the typical family’s energy bill through the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) and Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS). This is in addition to new cost of living payments, benefits uprating, and the extension of the Household Support Fund to help the most vulnerable with the cost of essentials in 2023-2024.Taken together, support to households to help with higher bills is worth £94 billion, or £3,300 per household on average across this year and last – one of the largest household support packages in Europe.

Postal Services: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeof the costs to parcel carriers and couriers of the requirements of the new parcels regime under the Windsor Framework and related legislation.

Baroness Penn: The old Northern Ireland Protocol would have required customs declarations and processes, as well as potential tariff liabilities, in respect of every parcel entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain. As the Windsor Framework removes almost all of these requirements the implementation requirements placed on parcel operators will be hugely reduced. We continue intensive and detailed engagement with parcel operators to ensure guidance and support is in place.

Apprentices: Taxation

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich: To ask His Majesty's Government how many organisations were liable for the apprenticeship levy in(1) 2018, (2) 2019, (3) 2020, (4) 2021, and (5) 2022.

Baroness Penn: Please find a table of the estimated number of employers paying the Apprenticeship Levy in each tax year below: Tax YearNumber of Employers2017 to 1832,2002018 to 1931,4002019 to 2030,6002020 to 2130,4002021 to 2233,400

NatWest: Vetting

Lord Willoughby de Broke: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take as a shareholder to ensure that NatWest Bank does not close accounts solely on the basis of their customers’ political views.

Baroness Penn: The Government’s shareholding in NatWest Group is managed at arm’s length and on a commercial basis by UK Government Investments (UKGI). UKGI’s role is to manage the shareholding, not the bank itself. In its capacity as a shareholder, the Government does not intervene in the operational decisions of NatWest. NatWest retains its own board for strategic and operational decisions. The Government notes that NatWest has published a statement on this matter, clarifying that it is not its policy to exit a customer on the basis of legally held political and personal views. [1] More broadly, the Government has published a policy statement setting out its plans to enhance requirements applying to the termination of payment accounts.[2] [1]. https://www.natwestgroup.com/news-and-insights/news-room/press-releases/our-updates/2023/jul/statement-on-review-of-bank-accounts-closure-process.html#:~:text=Customers%20have%20a%20right%20to,this%2C%20wider%20change%20is%20required.[2]. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/payment-account-contract-termination-and-freedom-of-expression

Trader Support Service

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government how much public money was spent on designing the Trader Support Service; whichorganisations received public monies as a result of this; and how much each organisation received.

Baroness Penn: I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to PQ UIN 146816 on 22 February 2023.

Trader Support Service

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government how much public money has been spent in each year on running the Trader Support Service to date; which companies received that money; and how much each company received.

Baroness Penn: I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to PQ UIN 146816 on 22 February 2023.

Manufacturing Industries: Carbon Emissions

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government when they will decide whether to introduce a carbon border adjustment mechanism.

Baroness Penn: The Government has recently consulted on potential future measures to mitigate carbon leakage risks, including the potential for a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The consultation closed on 22 June 2023, and the Government is seeking a wide range of stakeholder views before taking any decisions. The Government will respond to the consultation in due course.

Islamic State: Non-fungible Tokens

Lord Carlile of Berriew: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensurethat ISIS loses any capability to raise funds in the UK through the use of (1) non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and (2) other ways to exploit NFT technology.

Baroness Penn: The government has implemented various measures to combat terrorist financing, disrupt funding of terrorist groups, and address the illicit crypto use and emerging fintech. This includes extending the UK’s Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs) to the cryptoasset sector in January 2020. The UK assesses cryptoasset Money Laundering and Terrorist Finance (ML/TF) risks case-by-case, allowing the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) to regulate the rapidly evolving industry. Firms involved in activities that are described as involving Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) will be supervised and subject to enforcement, if they deal with cryptoassets as defined in the regulations.Separately, the traditional art market is regulated for AML purposes so businesses dealing with NFTs which could reasonably be classified as “works of art” and meet the wider relevant criteria for supervision by HMRC, are required to comply with AML regulations to combat terrorist financing.To prevent terrorist organisations such as ISIS exploiting blockchain technology, the UK is implementing the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF's) 'Travel Rule') which enhances information sharing and retention for cryptoasset transfers to detect terrorist financing.We are also updating UK CT legislation with the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency (ECCT) Bill to prevent terrorist groups from exploiting NFT technology. This empowers law enforcement to seize, detain, freeze, and forfeit terrorist cryptoassets, with the revised definition of cryptoassets encompassing various technologies that utilize cryptography and distributed ledger technology, including NFTs.The UK continues to engage internationally to mitigate illicit finance risks associated with cryptoassets including NFTs, and constantly reviews legislative tools to ensure we can keep pace with evolving terrorist financing threats.

Republic of Ireland: Trade

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any level of divergence of trade to the Republic of Ireland in the supply chain in Northern Ireland since the signing of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Baroness Penn: It is clear that, without even being fully implemented, the Northern Ireland Protocol was causing considerable ongoing difficulties for trade within the UK. The UK and EU agreed the Windsor Framework which restores the smooth flow of trade and will enable goods destined for Northern Ireland to move without overly burdensome customs bureaucracy.

Parcels: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to thePostal Packets (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2023, why parcels travelling fromGreat Britain to Northern Ireland are treated as exports.

Baroness Penn: The status of goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will not be changed by this Statutory Instrument and they will not be regarded as ‘exports’. No export processes – safety and security declarations or export declarations – apply when goods move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.Under the Windsor Framework, individuals in Northern Ireland will be able to receive parcels from friends, family or businesses in Great Britain as they do today.Northern Ireland businesses ordering goods from businesses in Great Britain will be able to access the UK Internal Market Scheme and the Green Lane , benefiting from radically reduced checks and data requirements.

Exports: Developing Countries

Baroness Sheehan: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee in is report Greening imports: a UK carbon border approach, published on 4 April 2022 (HC 737) that a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism design should reflect engagement with low and middle income country trading partners, given the fact that less developed countries are less likely to have carbon pricing or the systems in place to calculate the emissions of their exports.

Baroness Penn: The government has recently consulted on potential future measures to mitigate carbon leakage risks, including the potential for a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The consultation closed on 22 June 2023. The government will respond to the consultation in due course.

Ministry of Defence

Ajax Vehicles

Earl Attlee: To ask His Majesty's Government when an officer of (1) one-star, and (2) two-star, rank first rode in an Ajax armoured fighting vehicle at a speed of at least 30 miles per hour.

Baroness Goldie: According to information held by the Department, the first journeys made by a one and two star officer in the Ajax platform were in April 2019 (Director Land Warfare, a two star) and September 2020 (Commander 1 Armoured Brigade, a one star). There is no detail as to the speed travelled on either of these occasions. Noting it was within a trials environment, it is possible that 30mph was exceeded.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Housing: Standards

Baroness Valentine: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce legislation on decent homes standards which includes the private rented sector, and on what timescale.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: We will legislate to introduce a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector at the earliest opportunity.

Infrastructure: Cambridge

Lord Jackson of Peterborough: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe delivery of critical infrastructure in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to support the plans for 250,000 new homes in these areas under the auspices of the Cambridge 2040 project.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Any new policies or announcements will be made in the usual way. We are determined to help more young families own a home of their own and reaching our target of 1 million new homes this Parliament will require a comprehensive approach. We know that development is only welcomed when new homes are beautiful and built alongside new GP surgeries, schools and transport links - to create neighbourhoods that are supported by the right services and infrastructure.

Department for Education

Alternative Education

Lord Boateng: To ask His Majesty's Government whatguidance they provide to schools about the use of ‘alternative provision’ in place of exclusion for pupils presenting challenging behaviours; and how the use of ‘alternative provision’ is monitored by Ofsted.

Baroness Barran: The use of alternative provision for pupils presenting challenging behaviours is covered in the government’s statutory guidance on alternative provision, which can be found attached. It is also included in guidance on behaviour in schools, as well as in guidance on suspension and permanent exclusion, which can also be found attached.The government’s recently published ‘Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan’ sets out the department’s ambitious reforms to improve capacity and capability within the AP sector. The plan includes a three tier model for AP which focusses on providing targeted support and interventions within mainstream schools to reduce the number of preventable exclusions and to improve behaviour and attendance. School commissioning of well planned, high quality AP can play an important part in delivering this service.Ofsted evaluate local authority and school use of AP separately. Ofsted look at a school’s use of AP as part of graded school inspections. In doing so, inspectors will evaluate how well a school continues to take responsibility for its pupils who attend AP. Further details can be found in paragraphs 361 to 367 of the School Inspection Handbook, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/school-inspection-handbook.From this year, Ofsted have included the inspection of the commissioning of AP by local authorities as part of Area SEND inspections. This includes inspecting whether a local authority’s approach to commissioning and overseeing AP arrangements for children and young people in the local authority area meets their duties as set out in AP statutory guidance. Full details can be found in the Area SEND inspection framework and handbook, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/area-send-framework-and-handbook/area-send-inspections-framework-and-handbook.HL9242_AP_statutory_guidance (pdf, 242.4KB)HL9242_behaviour_in_schools_guidance (pdf, 460.7KB)HL9242_suspension_and_permanent_exclusion_guidance (pdf, 544.5KB)

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Life Sciences: Foreign Investment in UK

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the factors contributing to the decline in life sciences foreign direct investment to the UK between 2021 and 2022 and of the associated fall from secondto ninth of 18 comparator countries for inward life sciences direct investment since 2021.

Viscount Camrose: The Government is committed to making the UK an attractive place for investment in Life Sciences. Recent changes to R&D tax relief and to capital allowances announced in the Spring budget have significantly improved the UK offer to foreign direct investment (FDI). FDI data – including both the Life Sciences Competitiveness Indicators and the inward investment results from the Department for Business and Trade – can display large year-on-year variations that are not representative of broader trends. Between 2012 and 2022 inward investment into the sector increased by 193%.

Life Sciences: Foreign Investment in UK

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the link between the increase in rebate rates in the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access and the decline in life sciences foreign direct investment to the UK from £1.9 billion in 2021 to £1 billion in 2022.

Viscount Camrose: No direct assessment has been made. However, payment rates in the 2019 VPAS have been below those forecast when the scheme was agreed with industry. The Government remains firmly committed to negotiating a mutually beneficial scheme that supports better patient outcomes, a strong UK life sciences industry, and the sustainability of NHS spend on branded medicines.

Weather

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofrecent reports by the World Meteorological Organization ofthe El Niño weather pattern.

Viscount Camrose: The latest World Meteorological Organization reports, with contributions from the Met Office, show that El Niño is emerging. Latest forecasts suggest it is likely to be a large event, which could drive record global heat and produce widespread climatic impacts in tropical countries. The Met Office is closely monitoring the evolution of El Niño, which is expected to peak at the end of the year. The Met Office will continue to provide forecasts and advice on associated impacts to Government and other stakeholders, to support mitigation of potential impacts in countries that will be adversely affected by El Niño.